The University of New Mexico School of Law will host a half-day conference Friday, Oct. 7, titled “Speaking Law to Terror: The Rule of Law in the War on Terrorism” in rm. 2401 at the law school, 1117 Stanford NE.
Two afternoon panel discussions will shed light on important contemporary issues in international law.
UNM School of Law professor Jennifer Moore said that the conference “presents an opportunity to engage in an essential dialogue about the relevance of both international law and the U.S. Constitution to the counter-terrorism policy of the U.S. government. This dialogue will be enriched by the participation of our distinguished guest presenters given their expertise and practical experience grappling with these issues.”
The first discussion, “The Relevance of the Geneva Conventions to the War on Terrorism,” is from 1-2:45 p.m. and will be chaired by UNM School of Law Professor Norman Bay. Panelists include Jennifer Moore, Geoff Loane, head of U.S.-Canada Regional Delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Professor John Yoo, University of California School of Law at Boalt Hall.
Loane has headed ICRC delegations in Serbia and East Africa. He has also managed ICRC relief activities worldwide. Loane has published articles and books on humanitarian concerns.
Yoo was a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice from 2001 to 2003, where he worked on issues involving foreign affairs, national security and the separation of powers. He argues that interrogations of detainees captured in the war on terrorism are not regulated by the Geneva Conventions. Yoo is the author of “ War, Peace, and the Constitution” and has published articles in leading U.S. law journals.
Moore served with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 1991 to 1995 in West Africa. Her scholarship focuses on the relationship between international refugee protection and human rights. Moore argues that both the Geneva Conventions and international human rights norms govern the treatment of persons detained in the war on terrorism.
A second discussion, “The Treatment of Persons Detained by the U.S. Government” is scheduled from 3-4:45 p.m. UNM School of Law Professor Sherri Burr will chair. Panelists include Professor Jordan Paust, University of Houston Law Center, and Philip Sundel, deputy legal advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross.
Paust is an expert on international law. He is the author of several books and more than 150 articles and essays addressing international legal issues. He often advises media and other organizations. Paust co-chairs the International Criminal Law Interest Group of the American Society of International Law.
Sundel served in a variety of legal positions for the U.S. Navy from 1990 to 2004. In his last Navy assignment, he was defense counsel in the military tribunal of accused Yemenese terrorist Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul. Sundel publicly complained that the tribunal process lacked the necessary checks and balances to be fair. He joined the Washington Delegation of the ICRC in June 2005.
Members of the State Bar of New Mexico who attend the conference may receive 4.2 general continuing legal education credits. The conference is free if not attended for credit. The CLE registration form is posted on the law school events calendar at http://lawschool.unm.edu/.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915
Posted by scarr at September 14, 2005 01:56 PM